Low Flying (Hansard, 20 January 1994)

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the locations in the United Kingdom low flying system where low flying regulations require aircrew to make radio contact with air traffic control at a civilian airfield prior to or during transit of a specified area; and which civil airfields possess UHF radio facilities for this purpose.

§ Mr. Hanley
The low flying regulations require military aircrews to contact the following civilian airfields prior to or during transit of specified areas within the United Kingdom low flying system: Aberdeen, Dunsfold, Farnborough and Keevil. All these airfields possess UHF radio facilities.

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date United States Air Force units stationed in the United Kingdom ceased using fixed low flying routes.

§ Mr. Hanley
United States Air Force units based in the United Kingdom continue to make limited use of fixed low 817W flying routes. In accordance with the United Kingdom low flying regulations, such routes are replaced at regular intervals.

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what level of command assessments are made of the minimum amounts of low flying required to acquire and maintain the necessary skills; what criteria are used in these assessments; and if he will make a statement on the current specified minimum requirement for low flying training in the continuation training syllabuses for(a) the Tornado GR and (b) the Tornado F3.

§ Mr. Hanley
Assessments of the minimum amounts of low flying required to acquire and maintain the necessary skills are made by Service Command and Group Headquarters. The criteria used in such assessments include variations in average aircrew ability and experience, the type of aircraft, its role and projected changes in its role. The current minimum requirement for low flying continuation training for all military aircraft, including the Tornado GR1 and Tornado F3, is based on the experience of specialist air staffs taking these factors into account.

§ Mr. Redmond
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in what year the Hawk aircraft was first authorised for flight in the United Kingdom low flying system at less than 250 ft; what is the current minimum authorised altitude for this aircraft type in the Royal Air Force; and if he will make a statement on the nature of the operational requirement for flying at less than 250 ft by Royal Air Force Hawks.

§ Mr. Hanley
Hawk aircraft have not been authorised to fly at less than 250 ft ins the United Kingdom low flying system. The current minimum authorised altitude for the aircraft is 100 ft above ground level, but this is reserved for the synchronised pair of the Royal Air Force aerobatic team and would be flown only within an airfield traffic zone or temporary restricted airspace. An operational requirement exists for Hawk aircraft to fly at less than 250 ft within designated air weapons ranges, but this does not extend to the United Kingdom low flying system.